A Kurd has testified how he survived a firing squad by Iraqi forces at the resumption of Saddam Hussein's genocide trial in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. The deposed leader and six others are on trial over their role in a campaign against the Kurds in the 1980s in which over 180,000 are alleged to have died. A defence lawyer claims a foreigner gave him a list of witnesses to call. Correspondents say the court hopes to complete the case before Saddam Hussein is executed following his conviction. The former leader was found guilty of crimes against humanity for the killing of 148 people in the mainly Shia town of Dujail following an assassination attempt on him in 1982. He was sentenced to death by hanging on 5 November, but under Iraqi law the guilty verdict is automatically sent to the appeal court. ... http://news.bbc.co.uk

More than half of Afghanistan's children are not going to school because of a shortage of places and teachers, the aid agency Oxfam says. Despite a five-fold increase in school enrolments since the Taleban were ousted in 2001, the education system simply cannot cope, the charity said. About seven million children are out of school, with girls badly affected. The report urged rich countries to invest some $800m (£419m) to rebuild Afghan schools in the next five years. The BBC's Mark Dummett in Kabul says that today there are so many pupils going to school in Afghanistan that a lot of them have to have lessons outdoors. Others make do in makeshift structures like tents while they await proper buildings. Oxfam says there are not enough classrooms, books or desks. Teachers, especially women teachers, are in short supply. Our correspondent says that pay is so low at about $50 a month at best that well-qualified staff prefer other work if they can get it...http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6188390.stm

Britain said Monday it expects to withdraw thousands of its 7,000 military personnel from Iraq by the end of next year, while Poland and Italy announced the impending withdrawal of their remaining troops.Polish President Lech Kaczynski said his country, a U.S. ally in Iraq and Afghanistan, would pull its remaining 900 soldiers out of Iraq by the end of 2007. And Italian Premier Romano Prodi said the last of Italy's soldiers in Iraq _ some 60-70 troops _ will return home this week, ending the Italian contingent's presence in the south of the country after more than three years.British Defense Secretary Des Browne was the second senior official in recent days to talk of reducing the number of British troops in Iraq. In a speech to the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Browne also warned Iran that it faces increasing isolation if it does not use its influence in Iraq constructively....http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/11/27/ap/world/mainD8LLEH6O0.shtml

Five people were killed when the driver of a pickup bumped into the car in front of it, lost control and struck an oncoming pickup.The names, ages and genders of the five people killed Sunday were not immediately released. The relationship between the five people had not been determined, State Patrol spokeswoman Deb Collins said Sunday evening.The five were in one black Ford F150 pickup, according to the Nebraska State Patrol. The pickup was westbound on Interstate 80 shortly before 3 p.m. when it bumped into the car in front of it. ...http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15587325/

Baghdad authorities on Monday lifted a three-day curfew imposed on the city after the worst bombing since the U.S. invasion in 2003, but nerves were frayed on fears of a new wave of blood-letting. Iraqi President Jalal Talabani was due to fly to Iran for talks amid growing calls in Washington to engage Iran and Syria to help stop Iraq sliding into civil war. Washington accuses Syria and Iran of fuelling the violence. The New York Times said a draft report to be debated by the Iraq Study Group, co-chaired by former secretary of state James Baker and which is preparing eagerly awaited proposals on a new direction in Iraq, would urge an aggressive regional diplomatic initiative to include direct talks with Iran and Syria. The group's recommendations will be sent to the White House, which is considering a change in strategy in Iraq to allow it to start pulling out some of its 140,000 troops....http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061127/ts_nm/iraq_dc

When the U.S. government's version of the United Way handed out hundreds of millions of dollars to charities last year, its largesse extended to more than 1,280 nonprofit organizations that collectively owe $36 million in taxes dating back as far as 1988. At the same time, other federal agencies gave $1.6 billion in grants to at least 170 of the delinquent charities, which account for nearly 6 percent of the approximately 22,700 charities funded by the Combined Federal Campaign. And every one of 15 charities that underwent a detailed audit by investigators at the Government Accountability Office was found to be engaged in “abusive and potentially criminal activity,” according to a report on the investigation. The GAO referred the charities to the Internal Revenue Service, for criminal investigation and collection. Among them was a mental health clinic that owed more than $1.5 million and has a track record of failure to remit ...http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15832673/